slur

American  

[slur] / slɜr /

verb (used with object)

slurred, slurring

1. to pass over lightly or without due mention or consideration (often followed byover ).

   The report slurred over her contribution to the enterprise.

   Synonyms:

   gloss, disregard, slight

2. to pronounce (a syllable, word, etc.) indistinctly by combining, reducing, or omitting sounds, as in hurried or careless utterance.

3. to cast aspersions on; calumniate; disparage; depreciate.

   The candidate was viciously slurred by his opponent.

   Synonyms:

   asperse, slander

4. Music.

   1. to sing to a single syllable or play without a break (two or more tones of different pitch).

   2. to mark with a slur.

5. Chiefly British Dialect. to smirch, sully, or stain.

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verb (used without object)

slurred, slurring

1. to read, speak, or sing hurriedly and carelessly.

noun

1. a slurred utterance or sound.

2. a disparaging remark or a slight: an ethnic slur against people of Irish descent.

   quick to take offense at a slur;

   an ethnic slur against people of Irish descent.

   Synonyms:

   affront, insult, innuendo

   Antonyms:

   compliment

3. a blot or stain, as upon reputation.

   a slur on his good name.

   Synonyms:

   disgrace, stigma

4. Music.

   1. the combination of two or more tones of different pitch, sung to a single syllable or played without a break.

   2. a curved mark indicating this.

5. Printing. a spot that is blurred or unclear as a result of paper, plate, or blanket slippage.

slur British  

/ slɜː /

verb

1. (often foll by over) to treat superficially, hastily, or without due deliberation; gloss

2. (also intr) to pronounce or utter (words, etc) indistinctly

3. to speak disparagingly of or cast aspersions on

4. music to execute (a melodic interval of two or more notes) smoothly, as in legato performance

5. (also intr) to blur or smear

6. archaic to stain or smear; sully

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noun

1. an indistinct sound or utterance

2. a slighting remark; aspersion

3. a stain or disgrace, as upon one's reputation; stigma

4. music

   1. a performance or execution of a melodic interval of two or more notes in a part

   2. the curved line ( or ) indicating this

5. a blur or smear

Other Word Forms

• unslurred adjective

Etymology

Origin of slur

First recorded in 1595–1605; of multiple origins; in the sense “pass over without due consideration,” compare Low German slurren “to shuffle,” Dutch sleuren “to trail, drag”; in the sense “blot or stain,” compare Middle Dutch slore ( Dutch sloor ) “sluttish woman”

Explanation

A slur is an insulting remark. In a political campaign, it’s not unheard of for a candidate to launch a slur at her opponent, though doing so is usually frowned upon. Slur can also be used as a verb meaning “to insult,” and it has a number of additional meanings as well. To slur one’s speech is to pronounce words in a clumsy, lazy way. In the context of music, to slur is to slide smoothly from one note to another. The word history of slur is hazy, but some scholars have suggested a relationship with a Dutch word meaning "to drag."

Example Sentences

The publication of the report follows the outcome of the BBC's own investigation into what led to the slur being broadcast, which was published earlier this week.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

Once a slur that implied homosexuality was shamefully deviant, “queer” was “reclaimed” in the 1980s by gay activists as a synonym for “gay.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

That this didn’t happen has sparked a back-and-forth about culpability, with Deadline reporting BAFTA’s assurance that it made the BBC and the broadcast’s producers aware that the slur was audible shortly after Davidson blurted it.

From Salon • Mar. 1, 2026

The BBC's chief content officer Kate Phillips told staff the BBC took "full responsibility" for what happened, adding that another racial slur had been edited out of the broadcast.

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

“Salted snail,” you hear yourself say in a medicated slur.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

Related Words

• accusation
• innuendo
• put down
• smear